(This is a continuation of the post listed here Part 1)

So, how are we going to start on this road of better health? For starters, we’re going to be learning a few things and a few terms that are thrown around all the time. Like anyone REALLY knows what those mean. I mean, come on… (OK, I’m kidding. I know what they mean. And you will too, IF you follow me through this.)

First word: As was mentioned in the prior blog post. Consistency. There are several definitions for this word, but the one I’m talking about is this: Doing something the same way, every time with very little to no deviations. –An example of this would be if you’re going to weigh yourself on the scale, do it at the same time of day, in the same manner. So, if you are in your PJs when you weigh the first time: Make sure you’re in your PJs from that point on. If you weigh yourself right before getting in the shower the first time, make sure you DON’T wait till after the shower the next. This is pretty important, as you (meaning I in this case) can see as much as 1 to 6 pounds difference throughout the course of the day.  (Tip: Pick a time, and weigh yourself EVERYDAY at that same time. For me, this is right after I wake up, and right before I take a shower. Start recording these numbers. Don’t skip. It’s VERY important. Over time, you’ll begin to notice that your weight will go up as much as it goes down. (There is a reason for this. Don’t panic. What we’re looking for here is just a series of numbers that we can look at over the course of your journey.)).

Next word: Calorie. What is it? Well, it’s the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water through 1 °C. –Errrrr, what? Now we’re getting all sciencey and stuff… Really???? Who cares? Basically it’s this. It’s just a unit of measurement that has been standardized. Again, you look puzzled. What if I told you it was like an inch, or a foot? Those are both units of measurement that you understand right? If I told you something was 2 feet long, you’d be able to understand that. Or if your hands should be held 6 inches above the heater, you’d understand what I meant. A calorie is no different. Here is where a lot of diet and fitness sites will tell you wrong. You see things like “a calorie from candy is much worse than a calorie from lean protein”. This is simply NOT the case. It’s a calorie (Think inches, if something is an inch away from you, it’s an inch away. Doesn’t matter if it’s a doughnut, or a screwdriver. it’s still just an inch away.) Why is that important? Because a calorie is something that’s already been standardized. So again. No difference between a calorie of protein and one of ice cream. It’s already been broken down to a standard unit of measurement. Another way to state it is this: A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy whereas an inch is a unit of measurement for distance? Clear??? Please understand this as it’s going to become VERY important later on during this. (Sidenote: I’m not saying that candy is just as good for you as protein. My point here is that the term CALORIE is a unit of measurement only, and that we’re going to use it as just that. A measurement.)

Final word for today: Exercise This is a hard one! In the way I want you to think of it, exercise means this: A means to burn calories. Doesn’t matter what you’re doing. If you’re doing something other than normal day to day things. We’re going to call it exercise. See, told you that was a tough one!

OK, so we now have a few new words that we can use correctly when talking to each other. If you didn’t learn the words… Ummm, re-read the above. If this is your second or third time reading this, and you STILL don’t understand the words. Maybe we should talk. Seriously, call me.

That’s about all I’ve got time for tonight, but we’ll be moving much quicker after this: I promise. There is something you’re going to need to know though. Change is HARD. But when broken down into small bite sized chunks, it’s pretty easy to begin. Also, those tiny bite sized changes can make a HUGE difference. So, you may not realize your entire goal right away, but let’s say you setup 7 things to do to achieve your ultimate goal. If you only do 2 of them, you may not get where you want to go, but you WILL move in that direction. (Sometimes that’s all the motivation you’ll need to progress to do the next couple of items on your goal list!)

Until next time.

Kevin

So, as the title suggests: I’ve recently gotten back into fitness and cycling. (I know if you’re reading this blog, you already know that, but again – My blog, my rules. So, I’m going to write about it anyway 😉 )

“What kind of changes have you made Kevin?” Well, I’m glad you asked! For starters. I’ve dropped from 230lbs to 190lbs. Now, I WAS down at 185-186, but hey: We did just go through Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays! That being said, it’s time to put the focus back on getting leaner and lighter again.

Many of you know that I used to be REALLY big into lifting. Because of that, it’s not an easy thing (physically, or mentally) for me to work at losing weight instead of putting more weight on. But, dealing with the constant reminders that I’m not a young pup anymore, has shown me that it’s time to trade in all extra bulk for a more targeted physique.  With that said, I’d like to take you through some of the things I’ve learned over the years (back when I was training, and more recently as well). A lot of these “things” may (or may not) contradict what you’ll read or see on a lot of the so called “diet” or fitness-e type sites. “Why?” you might ask. Mostly because the whole point of sites like that, or diets that are all over the web: Is to try to get you to buy something. That said, let me sell you a pencil that if you use it just 15 seconds a day, will make you wealthy, skinny, and immortal. No seriously. I have one around here someplace… NOT.

OK. So what should we talk about? How about for starters we talk about what works best. Is it weight training? Is it cycling? Is it running a half marathon a week? Is it dieting? Is it giving up food in exchange for some poor rabbits meal? The answer to all these (despite what you’ll read elsewhere is NO!) So what is the secret then? Well, it’s several things. The most important one though is this: Consistency! Honestly, that’s it. If you’re consistent in what you’re doing, it’s going to lead you someplace. If you’re not, there is no telling where you’ll end up. Now, what you’re consistent about is what’s going to make the difference.

Let’s say you eat like crud, and sit in front of the TV all day. If you do this constantly, guess what. You’re going to end up looking and feeling like… Well, crud. News flash though. Get up and move around once or twice, maybe even go to the gym, and guess what. You’re still going to look and feel like crud. Why? Because you can’t change something in a day, or week. This is one of the reasons diets don’t work. Sure you can fix your eating, but most people start to lose weight then because they’ve been starving themselves, they end up going back to bad habits. Next thing you know: Plop! Back in the chair, and back on the snacks.  There are other problems with diets that I’ll talk about later as well.

“So are you saying that you can’t change overnight?” Yes, and no. Can you change your actions overnight? Yes. Should you expect to see the result of that change overnight? No. Here’s the deal. You didn’t just wake up one day and find yourself out of shape. You weren’t just looking in the mirror at some trim young person when POOF a heavy weight took their place. No, the change took place over a period of time. So, expect it to be reversed over the course of time as well. Again, I KNOW this because I’ve lived it myself.

Over the next several blog posts, I’ll TRY to map out what works best for me, but also give YOU the tools you’ll need to make the same sort of transition yourself. Here’s the deal. As much as you hate to hear it, it’s all MATH. Does that mean I’m going to be asking you to find the value of X? No, but the nice thing about math is this: 1+1 is ALWAYS equaled to 2 –Unless it’s 11 😉 That being said, it’s a PROVEN fact that if you do certain things, you’ll ALWAYS get the same results. It CAN NOT be any other way.

Until next time,

Kevin

SO. I tried to write in this blog last time, and it didn’t work out so well. So, why do it again? Because. I just wanted to. My blog, my rules. See how that works 😉

What to write about. Well, in the past, I’ve always written about my cycling. I don’t really see a reason to change that, but I think I may expand upon it a little. You see, over the past 5-6 months now I’ve gone through some serious changes that I think could be used to help others out. What kind of changes? Well, for starters, getting back into shape after blowing up to a whopping 230 pounds. The journey isn’t an easy one, but it’s one that I definitely could help you on if you’re willing to listen.

So, that being said: Here’s to a great 2016!

Kevin